


Once Upon an Insane Asylum

by Missa_Sissa



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dark, Eventual Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-08 04:27:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11638899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missa_Sissa/pseuds/Missa_Sissa
Summary: Emma Swan has been admitted to a mental hospital since her 28th birthday. Regina Mills is her doctor, and wants nothing more than to bring back the woman she fell in love with. But as Emma's sanity fades away into curses and fairytales, so does she. With past demons threatening to break them both, they must rely on each other to survive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is rated M because of dark themes that may be triggering to some. I absolutely love mental hospital AU's, so I thought I would write my own. Leave a review if you liked the first chapter!

Emma Swan stared at the white walls surrounding her and the metal bars covering the windows. A gnarled sign reading _Mills Psychiatric Facility_ stared back at her above a plexi glass covered check-in desk. “Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit,” Emma muttered in under her breath.

“ _You got that right_ ,” the familiar voice inside her head commented. The blonde pushed the voice away. She wasn’t going to deal with this right now. Luckily, the echoes gradually faded until she was left with mainly the company of her own thoughts.

“Miss Swan.” Emma looked up to see Regina walking towards her, clipboard in hand and thick black glasses perched at the edge of her nose. The blonde didn’t fail to notice she was wearing a tight black pantsuit with a plum-colored blouse that accented her curves just so.

“Welcome.” The brunette stuck a hand out for Emma to shake. The young woman didn’t move from her spot. The voice started to fight its way back to the front of her mind again. It was most powerful when her emotions were running high and she was distracted.

Regina stiffly pulled her hand back, smiling awkwardly. “I’m Dr. Mills, but you can call me Regina. I hope you’ll feel quite at home here while you are recovering,” she spoke. Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m going to be your main doctor. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to talk to me.”

“ _Yeah, why don’t you start by asking how the hell we get out of here?_ ”

“Shut up, Lily,” Emma mumbled, keeping her eyes trained on who used to be her old friend.

 That was the name she had given to the voice that resided in her brain. Why the hell not? It obviously wasn’t going away anytime soon. And quite frankly, she didn’t want it to. She needed the extra help to get out of this hell-hole.

“What was that?” Regina asked, her eyebrows raised. “Nothing,” the blonde answered quickly.

Something was very wrong here. They had to be under some spell or curse or something. The last thing she remembered, Gold had been… what exactly _had_ he been doing?

Emma wracked her brain, trying to remember. She had been wandering around in a hospital, trying to find someone to help her. A woman. Regina. That’s who she was trying to find. Regina and Gold were the only two people she seemed to remember.

And then the voice had interrupted her, like one might bump into an old friend. Emma suddenly knew everything there was to know about the voice, like it was a separate person almost. Like she had heard it before, a long time ago. Like it used to be a part of her.

 Now she was here. But she wasn’t _meant_ to be here. She was supposed to be stopping something. She just didn’t know what. Why was she here? She had overheard the not-so-quiet chatter of the orderlies as they transported her to this place, and she could barely make out the words _psychopath_ and _homicide_. What had she done?

 All she knew was her name was Emma Swan, she somehow knew this Dr. Mills, she had a voice in her head that may or may not have been there before, and there was something about Gold. She had lost memories, lost time.

“Shall we start the tour?” Regina asked. “Lead the way,” Emma answered.

It wouldn’t do her any good to resist just yet. Maybe she could work from the inside and reverse this. Whatever this was. Emma only half-listened as the doctor showed her around. The kitchen, day room, individual rooms. The ‘special’ rooms for those that got a little too riled up.

“We are congregated with men on one side and women on the other. No physical contact of any kind is permitted between patients,” Regina was saying. “Lights out by 10 p.m. Medications are taken when administered. If you resist you will be sent to the isolation room.”

Emma blinked as the woman snapped her fingers in front of her face. “What was that?” She asked. “I asked if you understood the rules so far. Pay attention, dear,” the brunette said before briskly continuing on through the rooms.

“ _I say we just skip this joint and jump,_ ” the voice chimed in. Emma glanced over at the nearest window. It was free of the strong metal bars. It wasn’t the worse idea. As if sensing her hesitation, Regina turned around.

“All of our windows are made of plexi glass. Bullet proof, anger proof, suicide proof. Try anything and you’ll be restrained to your bed with a feeding tube for the next week,” the older woman said.

“ _Okay, plan b. We strangle this bitch with our bare hands and escape,_ ” Lily offered.

Emma quickly shook her head. She didn’t want to hurt Regina. Sure, the woman was annoying and professionally cold, but that was probably part of her job description. But she used to be her friend. At least she thought so. Besides, she was part of the key to remembering what happened.

The more Emma tried to remember her life before all of this, the more she forgot. The edges of a memory would start to take shape in her brain and then, before she could even try to decipher it, it was gone.

“You’ll have therapy with me every other day. We have group therapy three times a week,” Regina explained.

Loud yells from down the hall interrupted them. “Swim! Tick tock it’s coming for me!” A man screamed. With those words, he jumped face first onto the ground and started to make swimming motions. All he succeeded in doing was flailing and looking like an idiot. “Bloody crocodile!” He yelled.

Emma stared at him, eyebrows raised and lips fighting to hide a smile. “ _And they think we’re crazy,_ ” Lily commented. That made Emma giggle. Regina didn’t seem fazed, however, and she waved a few orderlies over. “Mr. Jones, these men are going to help you back to your room,” she said calmly.

The man kicked and thrashed about as the men hauled him up. Then he caught sight of Emma standing nearby. “Well hello there,” he said with a wink and a dopey grin. “The name’s Hook.”

“Emma, this is Killian,” Regina introduced them. “ _Captain Hook_ ,” the man corrected her before the men led him away.

The blonde followed Regina back to the day room. A couple women sat on the couch watching TV. A brunette woman sat in a chair by the window reading a book. A man played chess in the corner with another woman. A young boy had his nose in a _Marvel_ comic book.

 “Attention, everyone. We have a new patient coming to stay with us. This is Emma,” Regina said. The only one that even responded was the dark-haired woman playing chess. She hastily stood up to greet them, and Emma noticed with dismay that she was a doctor as well.

“Emma! So great to meet you. I’m Mary Margaret. I am one of the doctors at this facility.” The woman said. “ _She looks a little pale. I know what’ll fix that right up. One slash across the throat and she’ll be redder than Regina’s lipstick._ ” Lily said.

“ _I’m not a murderer, idiot. Besides, even if I was, what do you expect me to do it with? This is a mental hospital. They’re not stupid enough to have that kinda stuff lying around. Unless you planned on giving her a big papercut with one of those books,_ ” Emma silently argued with the voice.

 “I’ll take it from here, Dr. Mills,” the enthusiastic doctor said, giving Emma a cheery smile. Regina nodded and left them, her high heels clack clacking against the floor as she exited.

“ _Wonder what she’d look like with just those heels on and nothing else,_ ” Lily said perversely. If she were a real person, Emma was sure she would have licked her lips as she said it. “ _You’re disgusting,_ ” the blonde silently answered. “ _Hey, I’m just saying what we’re both thinking. I’m like a free advice therapist._ ”

“More like a sociopathic slut _,_ ” Emma mumbled. “ _That’s the spirit!_ ” Lily agreed.

Luckily, Mary Margaret was too engrossed in the other patients to notice Emma talking to herself. “Emma, this is Ruby and Dorothy,” the doctor pointed to the women on the couch. The raven-haired woman never looked up from the television.

“My friends call me Red,” the brunette looked up and winked at her. “That’s Belle,” Mary Margaret pointed to the woman by the window. The young woman smiled at her. Emma couldn’t help but notice the white bandages on her wrists and scratches on her eyes. She looked so innocent.

The man who was playing chess stood up to greet her. “I’m David. At least that’s what they tell me,” he chuckled. Emma offered him a warm smile. He looked just like her. They even had the same bright, green eyes.

“David has severe memory loss. He’s also my husband,” the doctor explained, showing off her diamond ring. “He’s just staying here until he heals a little more.”

The young boy from the corner got up and roughly shoved his way past them. “Henry, why don’t you greet our new patient?” Mary Margaret said cheerily. The boy responded by moving his dark brown bangs from his eyes and flipping Emma off. “ _I like him,_ ” the voice spoke up.

‘You’ll meet everyone else soon. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and I’ll let you know when it’s time for your meeting with Regina,” Mary Margaret said. Emma nodded and took a seat on a leather recliner.

The friendly brunette that called herself Red casually got up from her seat and stalked over toward Emma. Emma kept her eyes trained on the television and tried her hardest to ignore her. “ _I’ll bet you $50 she was a stripper before she got sent to this nut house,”_ The voice piped up. Emma rolled her eyes.

However, she couldn’t help but notice the young woman was bending over and stretching her muscles in such a way that it did look a little slutty. Every now and then, the brunette would look her way and bat her long lashes at her, a small smile on her lips.

Emma finally decided to swivel the recliner around so she was facing the window. She reached over for a magazine and pretended to be interested in an article about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s breakup. Whoever they were.

A chill ran down the blonde’s spine as she felt a presence behind her. Emma sharply turned her head to see the woman nicknamed Red leaning towards her, inhaling deeply. “Can I help you?” Emma snapped. Red’s eyes fluttered open and she parted her lips to reveal pearl white teeth as she smiled.

“You smell _amazing_ ,” the brunette spoke.

Emma involuntarily flinched as Red leaned over her. It was too much; she couldn’t breathe. She was cornered.

Before she even knew what she was doing, her fist was connecting with Red’s face. The woman flew back, hitting her head on the corner of the coffee table behind her.

Mary Margaret jumped to her feet, waving over a few of the orderlies. Emma moved to the floor below the window, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding behind her waterfall of golden hair.

“Why the hell did you do that, Lily?” Emma hissed as she flexed her sore hand.

It was very rare that the voice took over her whole body, but when it did happen, nothing good followed. Lily was an impulsive psycho; she loved getting in fights and had a hobby of stealing expensive jewelry, claiming she loved the way it shined.

“ _I’m making sure these nut jobs know their place around us. That bitch was about to try to pull some Orange is the New Black type shit on us I’m sure,”_ the voice answered.

Emma was the one to lash out, however, when the orderlies tried to force her up. Couldn’t they understand she was panicking? That she didn’t have a choice? That she needed _out_?

Then she was being restrained to a bed in a separate room. Amongst the staff dressed in white she saw a flash of purple. It was Regina, she realized.

Upon seeing her ally, she struggled even harder against the snug leather straps. If she could just make Regina understand, everything would be okay.

“ _Fight, you weak bitch! Don’t let them tie you up like some pet!”_ Lily screamed at her.

“I can’t!” Emma screamed back. She didn’t care if they heard her now.

And then she heard Regina’s voice. “Emma. Emma, I’m going to- “

Regina’s voice was then drowned out by the voice furiously screaming inside her head. It was threatening to kill Emma, threatening to kill Regina, trying to claw its way out.

Then, Emma felt a stinging sensation in her arm at the crook of her elbow. Her body relaxed, the voice faded away, and her heart stopped pounding. Regina’s face came into focus in front of her.

“There you are,” Regina said gently as she set a syringe down on the table next to her. “Now, do you want to talk about what happened in the day room with Ruby?”

Emma silently stared up at the ceiling. There was no way she could explain all of this without Regina thinking she was absolutely crazy (well, crazier than she already did.) -They were under a curse. That was the only explanation. She _wasn’t_ insane. She may not remember things clearly, but she knew one thing; she was going to find who did this, and she was going to kick some ass.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Regina said with a small smile.

Emma simply blinked sleepily at her. Regina sighed, and her lips twitched in the way they did when she was frustrated. It seemed the longer Regina was near her, the more she would remember. Not full memories of her, just little facts that her subconscious seemed to know about the woman.

Regina’s favorite color was purple. She had an obsessive need to have unwrinkled clothing, and when she became nervous she would begin smoothing out the clothes she had on by hand. She cooked a mean lasagna, a dish that Emma used to love.

In order for Regina to truly believe and help Emma, Emma would have to behave and not draw attention to herself. There were no guarantees of that working, especially with the voice as aggressive as it was, but she would try. So she stuck with something safe to say.

“I hate needles.”

“Well, Miss Swan, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. You attacked a patient within not even an hour of being here. And judging by the look on your face after I gave you that shot, you knew you needed it. You’re lucky I didn’t send you to isolation,” Regina said. “I’m sorry,” the blonde said in a quiet voice.

“I know, dear. We’ll get things straightened out, you just need to trust me. Can you do that?”

Emma stared up at the ceiling again, trying to count the bumps that covered it. She couldn’t remember the last time she had her mind to herself without Lily butting in. Mainly because she didn’t remember anything _before_ Lily. A small smile appeared on her face at the woman’s gentle tone. Emma knew that was a tone reserved only for her.

Regina must have taken that as a sign of compliance, for she smiled warmly. “Alright, Emma. I’m going to leave you here to rest for a few hours and then when I come back we’ll have our therapy session,” she informed her before leaving her alone.

Emma was at 753 bumps by the time Regina came back. The voice was at the back of her brain now. It wasn’t strong enough to fully invade her mind thanks to the medication, but it made itself known, like an itch that was unable to be scratched. Hushed whispers reached out, clinging to her like Velcro.

“How are you feeling now, Emma?” Regina asked. “Like I’m ready to get out of these restraints,” Emma answered.

Regina nodded, though the look on her face indicated Emma was going to be stuck for a while. “Ruby is in the infirmary. She has a broken nose and a bruised head. I thought you would like to know.”

“Not really,” Emma said with an awkward shrug that looked more like a twitch.

Regina sat down next to her. She made Emma nervous, like a bug in under a microscope. She looked unfamiliar now, somehow. And that thought scared her.

“You have apple trees in your backyard, am I right?” Emma asked.

Regina looked equally confused and concerned at her question. “No. I’m allergic to apples.”

The voice was getting stronger now. “ _Ask her what color underwear she’s wearing.”_

“You’re lying.”

Regina shifted in her seat. “Miss Swan, you have lashed out and fallen back onto your destructive path in less than a day of being here. As head administrator at this facility, you do realize I was hesitant to agree to have you transferred here due to your background.”

“Bullshit. I wasn’t transferred from anywhere. We are under a curse, and you’re too blind to see,” Emma snapped.

“You were transferred here from Boston’s main facility. You have been there for the past 4 years. And although you might not realize this, I have been your doctor for those years you were admitted. You don’t remember me as your doctor because of the medication you were given,” Regina explained.

“I remember you,” Emma spoke. “And Gold.”

A flash of what looked like anger crossed Regina’s face, but when Emma blinked, the woman was as calm and composed as ever. “Dr. Gold has been suspended from his work and stripped of his title. In fact, he is currently residing in a prison far away from here as we speak due to the conditions he forced his patients into.”

Judging by Regina’s cold tone, Emma was one of those many patients. “ _I’m sensing jealousy…_ ” Lily sing-songed. Emma rolled her eyes. She didn’t believe for a second that Regina had feelings for her. In fact, she hated her the first time they met.

_“You’re Henry’s birth mother?”_

_“Hi.”_

_“So, Miss Swan. Should I be worried?”_

_“Not at all.”_

“Miss Swan.” Regina’s tone broke Emma of her thoughts. She must have looked freaked though, because Regina slowly reached into her pocket.

“Wait!” Emma pleaded, terrified of being drugged again. “I remember you! Storybrooke! My- our son! Snow White and Prince Charming and the curse and the storybook and I didn’t believe and- “

Emma cut off as she noticed the look of pity on the brunette’s face. It was the look she used to give Henry when he rambled on about the same thing she was now. This wasn’t helping her case.

“How long have you been believing in this curse, Emma? These fairytale characters?” Regina asked. “Because the last time I saw you, the medication was working. You came to terms with what has happened, and you learned self-forgiveness. You’re not hearing Lily again, are you?”

The fact that Regina had mentioned something so _personal_ made Emma shut down. She spoke of Lily as if she were a vile, disgusting creature that needed to be extracted from her brain and executed. Lily was her safe-haven. She was always there for her when Emma needed it. She helped her survive.

“Yes or no. A simple yes or no, Emma. Are you hearing her?” Regina asked gently.

“ _If you tell her, you’ll lose me. She’ll drug you so much you won’t even know your name. And without me, what are you? You’re nothing. NOTHING. It’s because of me that you’re not in a prison somewhere getting gang raped by a bunch of sex-hungry vultures,_ ” Lily said.

“ _What do you know?_ ” Emma demanded silently. “ _Answer me!_ ”

Regina pushed past the rule book and broke the rule of conduct as she stroked Emma’s hair. “Emma, you’re safe here,” she murmured, trying to bring the young woman back to her. “Focus on me. Not her. Remember Emma, she can’t hurt you. She’s in your head.”

Emma snapped back to clarity the moment she heard those words ‘ _She can’t hurt you.’_

“You don’t think Lily can hurt me?” Emma asked quietly, jerking away from Regina’s touch. “Then you obviously aren’t a very good doctor if you’ve known me for years. Lily is the one who punched Ruby. If she can find a way, she will.”

Regina hummed as she contemplated what to say. Although Emma had no recollection, back in Boston, she had tried (and almost succeeded) to end her life on multiple occasions. She claimed Lily took over her body in those brief moments of weakness where Emma would get lost in her head. If Emma only knew what had really happened the night her supposed son came to take her back to a place called Storybrooke… she was too sensitive to learn the truth right now.

“I think that’s enough of our session today,” Regina concluded as she glanced at the watch on her wrist.

“So you’ll let me out of these restraints?” asked Emma with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Regina wanted to give in; Emma was her favorite patient by far, and back in Boston, Regina was absolutely enamored as she listened to story after story of these detailed descriptions of who she was and how Emma knew her. Although none of those facts were true, it made Regina closer to Emma. But she knew that Emma needed to get used to the medication for at least the rest of the day so she wouldn’t become so agitated.

Regina stood and pursed her lips in a show of sympathy. “I’m sorry, Miss Swan. I need to keep you in here for the rest of the day. However, I will send someone in with your dinner.”

Emma watched with wide, frightened eyes as Regina pulled out another syringe and tapped the glass tube to release any air bubbles within. “Please, Dr. Mills. I’ll be good, I won’t hurt anyone else I promise!”

Regina paused as she prepared to stick the needle in. The poor woman thought this was her way of reprimanding her for her actions.

“Emma, this isn’t a punishment. I want to see you become well and happy again.”

Emma whimpered as the needle went in. She managed to choke back a sob, but couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her face. Soon, sleep came to carry her away. Just before she blacked out, she could have sworn she heard Lily laughing with delight.

* * *

 

Regina sighed as Emma drifted into unconsciousness. She covered the woman with a blanket, watching the rise and fall of her chest as her breathing slowed and became even. The co-coordinator of the hospital as well as the main psychiatrist, Ruel (better known as Blue) was waiting for her out in the hall.

“Did she recognize you?”

Regina shook her head. “Not even a little. Not real memories, anyway. It’s like her whole past is gone, thanks to that sorry bastard. He gets to live out the rest of his life with three meals a day and wool blankets, while Emma will most likely be institutionalized and sedated every day for the rest of hers.”

The composed doctor allowed a few tears to fall in the presence of a trusted friend. “It’s like I’m a ghost. She doesn’t remember me at all. I’m a stranger to the person I- “ Regina cut herself off quickly, refusing to break down at her place of employment.

Blue laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know this is hard, Regina. But you need to give this time.”

“It’s been 4 years, Blue. If she doesn’t remember me now, she most likely never will. You know the statistics better than anyone,” Regina said bitterly.

“Yes. And I also know _you_ better than anyone. You won’t give up.”

Regina absorbed her words for a minute. Then she straightened her shoulders, stood up straight, and put on her professional ‘work’ face. Blue was right; it would take time. But she couldn’t give up.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma learns the truth.

Emma clutched tightly onto Mary Margaret’s arm as she finally stood on her own two feet. The room spun around her and her knees nearly buckled, but the kind doctor by her side held her steady.

“The medication will take some getting used to, but soon you’ll be feeling better,” Mary Margaret reassured her with a gentle smile. “Now, let’s get you into some fresh clothes.”

Emma allowed the woman to help her in hospital scrubs. Aside from the atrocious, yellow lemon color, they were as soft as a peacock’s feathers. Mary Margaret smiled at her in the mirror as she gently pulled a brush through her golden hair. It soothed Emma despite the horrible reality of being stuck here.

“I thought yellow scrubs would be perfect to wear. They’re cheery and bright. Hopeful,” the raven-haired woman commented.

Emma was too preoccupied with her own mind to focus on what the doctor was saying. Lily had been strangely quiet; she hadn’t even butt in to comment on Emma’s new fashion sense from _Hospital Monthly_. It drove Emma insane more than everyone thought she already was, to be stuck with nothing but her empty thoughts.

“ _C’mon, Lily. Talk to me!_ ” Emma pleaded silently.

Mary Margaret finally set the hairbrush down and beamed at her. “There. All ready for the day. Pretty as a flower.”

Emma did smile at her, then. It wasn’t quite a real smile; her lips only curved up slightly and she relaxed her shoulders against the woman’s hands rested on them. Mary Margaret saw straight through the casual gesture and her eyes lit up.

“Oh, before I take you out to the day room, Dr. Mills has given me your medication for the day. You also have group therapy today, so you’ll meet some of the other patients.”

Emma stiffened as the doctor pulled out a syringe. “I thought dosages were given in pills?” She asked softly, her plan for spitting out the gel capsules thrown out the window.

Mary Margaret smiled sadly. “Dr. Mills wants to make sure you’re getting your medication. It’s a requirement for most new patients.”

Emma involuntarily flinched as the woman lifted the sleeve of her shirt. “A tiny pinch. Deep breath,” Mary Margaret soothed just before she slid the needle in.

She was so gentle, Emma barely felt it. Then, every clear thought she had floated away as a dense fog rolled over her. Mary Margaret helped her up and settled her in the day room on the couch before sitting down with David nearby.

The young boy that had flipped Emma off the first day she came sat down beside her, a new comic book in his hands. Emma was surprised when the boy set a yogurt parfait in front of her.

“It’s the one breakfast item here that doesn’t taste like shit,” the boy commented, not even bothering to tear his eyes away from the pages.

“I’m Emma.”

“Henry.”

That name rung a bell and broke through her clouded mind like a strong feeling of déjà vu. Emma stared at the teen for a moment, trying to place how she knew him. The one memory that stuck was a brown-haired little boy, no older than 10. Black jacket, red and gray scarf, the same green eyes as her. But that little boy was full of hope. This older teen was filled with anger, and lots of it.

Henry noticed her unwavering gaze and glanced over, raising an eyebrow in speculation. Or perhaps it was annoyance. With a smirk, he set down his comic book.

“I heard you went Joker on the lead doctor. Tried to kill Red cause she looked you in the eyes.”

“Excuse me?” said a very offended Emma.

Henry shrugged. “That’s just what I heard. Rumors float all around in this place. Yours was the first in a long time that sounded sane.”

“What do you mean by Joker? It wasn’t funny,” Emma said, confused.

Henry snorted and rolled his eyes. “Joker, the villain on Batman. Harley Quinn’s homicidal King.”

Emma looked at him with a blank stare. Henry shook his head and picked his comic up again. “Everyone here is too old to get the reference,” he muttered.

Emma watched the TV for a little while before trying to start up a conversation with the young boy again. “So, why are you here? Aren’t you a little young?”

“Piss off,” Henry said before moving to the chair in the back of the room.

“Thanks,” Emma said quietly as he left.

She was somewhat surprised when the young brunette woman moved from her chair over by the window and sat next to her. The scratches on her eyes were less prominent, and she looked a bit cheerier than before. Emma realized with dismay that the reason for that was medication, judging by the girl’s bright blue eyes that were slightly cloudy.

The woman noticed her staring and flushed bright pink. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to invade your personal space. It’s just, Red and Dorothy usually have control over the television and they tend to watch reality shows. At least you have good taste in what to watch.”

Emma glanced over at the screen. She hadn’t even seen what was playing. A children’s _Dreamworks_ film showed on the screen, displaying a cat sword fighting with what was obviously a villain.

“My son loves this movie. He’s only one, but he coos and giggles when I turn it on,” the woman commented. “I’m Belle, by the way.”

“Emma.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emma. I heard you’ve had a rough couple days,” Belle said.

Emma bristled, ready to defend herself. But before she could, Belle continued.

“I know it’s not permitted to hit patients, but I say Red had it coming. Before Dorothy arrived, Red used to be all over me. Most of the orderlies here are idiots and just stand and watch while things happen. It got to the point where I would stay in my room all day. Mary Margaret is who persuaded me to start coming out here again.”

As if she had heard her name being said, Mary Margaret glanced up from where she sat and gave Emma a smile as she saw that she was being social.

“ _Hey, why don’t you ask little miss failed suicide why she’s in here? I love a good triggered psycho,_ ” Lily piped up.

Ignoring the horrible comment, Emma welcomed Lily back into her brain. Although she was a bitch, the voice was her friend. Her only friend.

“Emma.” The blonde glanced up to see Regina walking towards her. “It’s time for group therapy.”

Regina was dressed in the same black pantsuit (she had to have at least 50 or more) and a crimson silk shirt underneath. She smiled brightly at Belle.

“Hello, Miss French. How are you feeling today?”

Belle smiled kindly at her. “I’m doing very well today, Dr. Mills. I can’t wait to tell Gideon what I got to watch when I see him next.”

“Your kid is dead. Get over it,” Henry spoke.

Immediately, Belle’s smile broke and her eyes began to water. She retreated back into herself and made her way over to the recliner by the window. She pressed her hands against the window as if to push it open before tucking herself into a ball. Her shoulders began to shake, indicating she was crying. Mary Margaret immediately went over to soothe the woman.

“ _Damn, that kid is brutal. I think we’re gonna get along just fine with him,_ ” Lily said.

“ _He’s an ass. Poor Belle…_ ” Emma thought.

“Henry, do I need to send you to solitary?” Regina threatened in an authoritative tone.

“No, but you can send me to the ‘does it look like I give a shit’ room,” the teen snapped.

Regina nodded at two orderlies who escorted the boy out. Just before he got out of sight, he turned and locked eyes with Emma. “See you around, Blondie. Enjoy your breakfast.”

Regina quickly grabbed the parfait and peered into it, sighing as she saw something that Emma hadn’t. She waved over an orderly and handed him the cup. “Dispose of that properly and make sure Henry receives his medication by injection. He’s hiding his pills and trying to drug the other patients again.”

Emma stared in shock as the orderly did as he was told. Regina laid a hand on her arm to keep her calm.

“Did you eat any of that, dear?”

“A few bites.”

Regina nodded and her face relaxed. “A few bites won’t affect you. Now, shall we go?”

Emma followed Regina to the group therapy room. David sat closest to Regina, conversing animatedly with the other members. He was the only one who looked relatively happy to be there. A blonde girl with curly, long blonde locks sat with her feet curled up underneath her. A strawberry brunette that looked like a human toothpick occupied the seat next to her. A woman that looked to be about 19 or 20 was the only one who wasn’t wearing scrubs. Instead, her attire consisted of a sparkling blue dress that looked like it was made of ice, and a side-braid complete with snowflake barrettes. The rest looked bored out of their minds.

Emma chose to sit next to David, as he made her a tiny bit at ease. The man smiled widely at her.

“I’m so glad to finally have a proper introduction. Emma, right?”

Emma nodded and fidgeted with her hands (a nervous habit she seemed to have since arriving here.)

“Dr. Mills is a great doctor. When I was feeling down and lost in my own self-pity, she pulled me out of it. Mary Margaret was supportive of course, but she wasn’t firm enough. My treatment had just started, and I was having severe memory problems. I had to learn basic functions all over again. I just passed my two-year mark, so I’m hoping my memory will return soon,” David explained.

“ _The man is obviously insane. Stuck here for 2 years with no memory of the past. I’ll bet you $50 he was a failed suicide. Probably jumped out a window and landed on a tree,_ ” Lily chuckled.

Though she wanted to tell Lily off, Emma couldn’t help but smile at the voice’s crude theory.

“ _You psychotic fucking lunatic_ ,” Emma responded silently, meaning to phrase it in good fun.

“ _You love me_.”

Regina brought the blonde back into focus as she began introducing Emma. “This is Emma Swan. She is new to our facility and this is her first group therapy session. Who would like to get us started with introductions? Tell Emma a little bit about yourself and if you feel comfortable, why you are here.”

“I’ll start.” David stood and cleared his throat. “I’m David Nolan. My wife tells me I used to work at an animal shelter and I loved wood carving in my spare time. Unfortunately, I got hit by a car a few years ago. I was walking some dogs from the shelter at the time.”

The man looked to Emma with a wink. “The dogs were all okay. I think I took the brunt of the damage. Anyway, I have severe memory loss. Just being able to stand here and use my voice is what makes me so thankful.”

“Pay up,” Emma mumbled.

Lily growled inside her head. “ _2 outta 3._ ”

“Nu-uh,” Emma subtlety shook her head, making it seem that she was moving her hair out of her face so she could see better.

“ _No one here is_ that _cheerful. I call bullshit. He’s probably here as a spy for the queen bitch doctor over there so he can relay information and she can up our dosages or send us into solitary. She probably sucks his dick, too._ ”

“Lily!” Emma hissed as her eyes darted around to see if anyone was paying attention. No one even batted an eye.

“ _I’ll get you your money tonight. Make sure to let your mental wall down so I can take over. You’re a big baby when I do it by force,_ ” Lily promised.

“Thank you, David.” Regina gestured to the blonde with the curly hair. “Cassie? How about you, dear? Would you like to share?”

The blonde quickly shook her head and retreated further into herself. Emma looked to the doctor, curious as to whether she would throw the girl into solitary for refusing to comply. Though Regina looked like she was battling an inner conflict, she simply nodded and moved on.

The strawberry brunette stood, her whole body shaking as she did so. Emma looked on with pity, while Lily observed with disgust.

“I’m Aurora. I am here because I have anorexia. I am trying to better myself and become a well-mannered citizen of society so I may get back into my family’s good graces,” the woman said, shooting a quick glance towards Emma, then Regina, as if she needed someone to cling to and urge her further out of her shell.

“ _Rich, spoiled, self-entitled. She’s an attention-whore,_ ” Lily sneered.

“She’s sick,” Emma silently argued.

“ _Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess. I would love to stay and watch this shit-show of a circus, but I should rest up for my owed debt._ ”

Emma sighed as Lily faded away. The voice was a bit much sometimes. Too difficult to keep hidden and out of trouble.

The ice dress girl was next. Her name was Elsa, and she seemed to be the craziest out of the group as well as the youngest. She was convinced that she had ice powers and was very agitated when she began to mention her ‘home’ which happened to be an ice castle.

“They destroyed it! They shattered it into pieces and took me captive and they look at me like a monster!” The young woman yelled.

“Elsa, none of us here see you as a monster. We’re all friends,” Regina coaxed, urging the girl to calm down.

Trying to talk Elsa back to reality was a lost cause, hence, why she was wearing a dress instead of scrubs. Emma watched the blonde clench her fists and release them multiple times in a row, hands shaking.

“I want my gloves back, please,” Elsa ended her angry rant.

Regina handed them over and nodded to Jefferson, who rolled his eyes but stood to speak.

“I’m Jefferson. I’m only here because I got stuck in this realm while traveling from Wonderland. My hat lost its magical properties, so I need to make another one. Unfortunately – “ the man looked to Regina with an annoyed expression, “ – I’m not allowed to use a sewing needle here because of safety purposes. So, I’m waiting for my daughter, Grace, to find me and bring me home. I am _not_ crazy.”

Emma stifled a giggle and quickly straightened up when Regina looked to her. The doctor laid a hand on her arm and nodded at her to introduce herself. Emma stood with her heart pounding in her chest. Luckily, most of the group (besides David) were zoned out in their own thoughts.

“Um, I’m Emma. I don’t know exactly why I’m here; apparently, I was transferred from another facility. I used to live in a town called Storybrooke with my son, and that’s all I really know. I have a friend named Lily who is kinda crazy, but she’s okay for the most part.”

“Aren’t you the woman involved in the Gilmore case?” Jefferson spoke up.

Emma noticed Regina shoot the man a panicked look.

A slow smile crept across Jefferson’s face. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and piercing blue eyes staring into hers like he could read her mind. “A few years back, I remember hearing about a woman who went insane and – “

“Therapy is over for today. Go back to the day room, please. Mary Margaret has some fun activities set up,” Regina cut in.

Emma stood to follow the others, but Regina called her back. “My office, Miss Swan.”

Emma sat across from Regina once again, her legs resting on the arm of the chair so casually like she was watching a movie rather than in a therapy session. Regina pulled out her file and opened it.

“Emma, we need to talk about the real reason you are here in my care.”

“It’s because I’m hearing Lily again, isn’t it?” asked Emma.

“Not entirely. Emma, what can you tell me about your 28th birthday? Really think. Do you remember what happened? What you did?” Regina asked.

“My son came and brought me to Storybrooke,” Emma repeated. What about it did Regina not understand?

Regina shook her head and pushed a stack of papers over. “I hate to do this Emma, but in order for you to get better, you need to know what really happened.”

Emma picked up the first paper. Her picture was on the front with a mugshot that read: **_Gilmore Killer Taken Into Custody_**. The article was even worse.

_A Boston family grieves a life lost after nearly 6 months of not knowing whether their son was alive or dead. 10-year-old Jared Gilmore’s body was found in a downtown Boston apartment late Tuesday. Police arrived on the scene to find suspect Emma Swan with the body, claiming he was her long lost adopted son. Police have taken the suspect into custody to await further trials._

Emma’s mouth fell open in shock as she stared at the picture captioned: _Jared Gilmore_. This was her son, the boy she had given up for adoption years ago. This didn’t make any sense. The blonde picked up another paper and read the article there.

_Emma Swan has been found guilty of 1 st degree murder in the Gilmore case. Pleading insanity, she is being transferred to the Boston Mental Hospital where she will be treated for her illness. The Boston area has put on a fundraiser candle-lighting ceremony for the Gilmore family to pay for funeral costs. _

Tears filled Emma’s eyes and she choked back a sob as she pushed the papers over to the doctor. This had to be a hallucination. She would open her eyes and wake up back in Storybrooke with Henry and her parents and her normal life.

“You did this,” she hissed out loud.

Immediately, Lily came back into her brain. “ _You wanted your son, you got him. I was just there to help._ ”

“A little boy is dead because of you!” Emma yelled, her voice shrill and ragged.

“Emma. Emma look at me.” Regina tried getting her to focus.

Emma made her way over to the glass cabinet, punching into the glass and shattering the top shelf. Blood poured down her arm but she didn’t feel it. She grabbed a pair of scissors inside and held them tightly in her hand. “You’re not going to hurt anyone anymore. Get out! Get out of my head!” Emma screamed.

Regina quickly ran to the door and yelled into the hallway as Emma held the scissors up to head, ready to stab herself to get rid of Lily once and for all. Just as she swung downwards, doctors burst into the room and quickly dislodged the scissors. Emma fought like a wild animal; teeth bared, eyes wild, screaming. Lily had taken over once again.

“Take her into solitary,” Regina said as tears filled her own eyes.

* * *

 

Once Emma was gone, the brunette collapsed into her chair, sobs wracking her whole body. “Dr. Mills, I – “ Mary Margaret fell silent as she watched her superior fall apart.

“Just go. Do whatever you need to,” Regina dismissed her, not once glancing up from her position.

“Regina.” The doctor didn’t move, even as she heard her friend’s familiar voice.

Blue made her way over to her, rubbing her back firmly to get her breathing back under control. “Regina, look at me.”

Regina painstakingly did so, her eyes filled with pain and remorse.

“What happened?” Blue asked gently.

“I showed Emma the truth about what she did. It was the only way to bring her back to reality. But she cracked, and entered a full-blown psychotic meltdown.”

“Did you tell her about her history with you?”

Regina shook her head. “I didn’t have time. She tried to kill herself, to get rid of the voice in her head. I sent her to solitary.” The woman broke down in tears once more. “This is all my fault, Blue. I should have just let her believe in the fairytale world she created.”

Blue shook her head. “You did what you had to. Any other doctor would have done the same. It’s just harder for you because of your history.”

“I love her.”

“I know. Which is why you need to go home. Take a few days off, clear your head, and let Emma go. She’s not the same woman you fell in love with,” Blue said.

“We were _married_ for god’s sake! I can’t just let her go like she means nothing!” Regina snapped.

“ _Regina_. Go home. Now. I will not have you act this way while you are on the clock. Do you understand?” Blue chided.

Regina sniffled and took a few deep breaths. “Yes, Blue. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll be by to check on you after work.”

As Regina headed home, she noticed a billboard across the street that read _Justice for Jared_ , and the tears threatened to flow again. Instead, she held her head higher, put her eyes forward, and moved past it. She would find a way to bring her Emma back no matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma woke to see Henry standing over her. Despite the heavy sedatives coursing through her body, she opened her mouth to scream.

“Don’t. Please.” The boy seemed nervous and desperate.

Emma went against her better judgment and kept quiet. After all, the doctors were the enemies here. Not this kid. She glanced over at the slightly cracked door, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the bright white walls of the room.

“How did you get in here? I thought you were in isolation too,” Emma asked, her voice hoarse from dehydration.

“I am in isolation, technically. I just happen to be good with lock-picking.” Henry held up a bent bobby pin between his fingers. “You, on the other hand, are one step further down the rabbit hole. Solitary is a lot more guarded and the drugs are heavier.”

The boy motioned to her feeding tube and the straps against her arms and legs. I don’t have all that. Just a good ol’ sedative every night and a strait-jacket for when I get too riled up. I distracted the guard outside your door long enough for us to chat.”

Emma snorted in spite of herself. “Come to give me another yogurt parfait and lorazepam?”

“Ah come on, Emma. It’s a ritual for all new patients. All in good fun,” Henry said cheerfully as he sat in a metal chair beside her and propped his feet up on the bed.

Silence descended upon them for a few minutes. Emma’s mind was right on the precipice of sleep when the teen spoke again.

“So… how ya doin’?”

Emma slowly opened her eyes and gave the boy an annoyed stare. “I’m great. I haven’t eaten solid food in what feels like forever, I have a gravy-looking concoction being pumped into my stomach, and I probably have bed sores from laying in the same position for too long. How are you?”

Henry ignored her sarcasm and flipped the bobby pin up in the air like a nickel before catching it and holding it between his lips as if it were a cigar. “I know why you’re in here.”

“Your point?”

“I know you went completely psycho on Dr. Mills and tried to stab yourself in the brain like some sort of zombie. Your little friend inside your head was going nuts. The curse thing is a bit far-fetched, but seeing as how I love my comics, I can see it. I’m not opposed to thinking outside the box; I’m sure there’s millions of different parallel planes out there all co-existing at the same time.”

“How do you know— “

“I eavesdrop on all the patient therapy sessions. It gives me something to do so I won’t stab myself with a spork out of boredom since I’ve read all my comics a hundred times over.” Henry sat up straight and winked at her.

Emma simply glowered at him. “You’d be in my position right now if Dr. Mills found out about this.”

Henry simply chuckled. “Dr. Mills does go a little Dr. Jekyll when patients break the rules. I say it makes her even hotter than she is.”

Both of them glanced at the hallway as a cart rolled by, its aluminum wheels screeching across the floors and alerting anyone within solitary to its presence. Emma noticed Henry hold his breath as the cart stopped right outside the room. It paused, and then moved on.

Henry exhaled and turned back to face her. “When you got brought down here, I was still near the office. Dr. Mills had some sort of mental break; she started sobbing like her dog died or something. Blue went in and made her go home. I think you had something to do with it; she mentioned marriage and being in love. My hearing isn’t all that great so I didn’t catch everything.”

Emma sighed and shifted her head position to ease the strain on her neck. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Well, I looked into the room and I swear I saw Blue use magic. Or maybe she brainwashed her, I don’t know. She waved her hand over Dr. Mills face, and instantly she calmed down and left. Well, I was curious so I followed her down here. She came to check on you. You were still pretty agitated, so she gave you a sedative. Then she said something about getting rid of those ‘pesky memories’.” Henry rolled his shoulders and leaned back. “So I’m thinking your curse delusion isn’t so crazy after all.”

Emma blinked, trying to process what Henry was telling her. “There was a possibility that the curse was real? That her son was alive? That she hadn’t murdered—Emma refused to let herself dwell on the act anymore. What’s done is done.

“I saw the articles. The proof was in the pages, kid. I killed an innocent little boy for no real reason at all.” Emma blinked back tears and looked away from the teen.

Henry sighed and rubbed his face. He obviously didn’t care that she was a stone-cold killer. In fact, he seemed rather annoyed that she was breaking down, like she was a young girl crying about her first break-up. “Look, I’m gonna do some digging around. I just wanted to let you know I’m on your side.”

The boy stood to go and looked back just as he was ready to leave. “Lily, you’re pretty fucking amazing. You too, Em.” He slipped out the door without another word.

Blue arrived shortly after Henry left, smiling widely as she checked Emma’s vitals and made sure the feeding tube was doing its job. “Hello, Emma. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Blue. How about we start our session today?”

“You’re not my therapist. Regina is.” Something in Henry’s message burrowed itself in Emma’s mind, placing a seed of doubt right into her conscience. Why would Blue be interested in anything she had to say? She helped out with some of the agitated patients, but for the most part she acted as a nurse.

“Dr. Mills has taken a leave for a few days. I’m stepping in to make her job run smoother so she doesn’t have a lot to deal with when she gets back.” Blue sat down in the chair Henry had occupied, only her back was rim-rod straight and her hands folded together in her lap as if she was saying a prayer. Come to think of it, she did look like a nun. Nonetheless, she made Emma nervous.

“ _Lily, I need you! Break through that wall like the mental bitch you are and help me out!_ ” Emma pleaded silently. No such luck. Since she was brought here yesterday, the drugs had done a good job at keeping her and Lily apart. Emma didn’t do being alone well, and that’s how she felt at the moment.

Blue held up a clipboard and began to scribble in it. Emma watched, mesmerized, as the woman hardly even glanced down though her hand seemed to move at the speed of light. Another nervous pang hit Emma square in the stomach, and she quickly shut her eyes to alleviate the feeling. It had only been a day, and she missed Regina already.

“Would you say today you’re feeling particularly angry, Miss Swan?” Blue’s eyes bore into her skull.

“I’d say I’m fairly pissed off, seeing as how I am not allowed actual food and these medications are taking away any sense of time I thought I had. That, combined with these white walls is enough to make anyone a little irritated. Wouldn’t you think?” Emma turned to face the wall, refusing to acknowledge the doctor anymore.

“Are you feeling sad?”

Emma had to think about that. She didn’t feel particularly _sad,_ it was more of an anxious feeling. Guilt that was resurfacing from her unforgivable crime. If only Lily was with her; she would tell it to her straight without any bullshit.

“If you were allowed out of your restraints and given normal meals like the rest of the patients, would you abuse your freedom by trying to hurt yourself or others?” It sounded as if Blue was reading off a checklist printed off of Web M.D.

“No.”

“Why did you try to hurt yourself?”

“I don’t want to talk anymore.”

Blue set her pen down and looked at her pointedly. “The only way you are going to get better is by admitting your feelings and facing your fears. Releasing these delusions of a curse and a long-lost son and magic. You are only harming yourself by not letting go.”

Emma did turn to look at her then. Something about this doctor was off. It would be a safe choice to wait until Regina returned to talk. Blue made her uncomfortable. If she had to play the silent game and wait in solitary for Regina’s return, so be it.

* * *

 

“How is she, Blue?” Regina cradled the phone up to one ear while mixing her ingredients. She may be allergic to apples, but her strawberry shortcake was to die for. Baking always helped her calm down, and it gave her something to focus on that didn’t involve work.

“You know I can’t relay patient information over the phone, Regina.” Blue sounded irritated, though Regina didn’t know why. Perhaps work had been stressful the first day she had been out. She hadn’t taken time off since before the incident with Emma.

“Need I remind you Blue, who coordinates and runs Mills facility?” Regina mixed her ingredients a little more aggressively, coating the table and the front of her shirt in flour.

“Rules are rules, my dear.” Blue sounded smug now. Regina gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes, thankful she was not speaking to her in person. Blue could be so stubborn sometimes. And that was saying a lot, especially since she herself was bull-headed.

“I’m coming back to work tomorrow.”

“No, you are not. I said take a leave of absence, meaning 3 days at the very least,” Blue reprimanded her.

Regina stopped mixing to blow her bangs away from her eyes, feeling overheated in her cramped kitchen. “Maybe I’ll just come in anyway.”

“Maybe I will tell the orderlies to guard every exit and not let you through,” Blue retaliated. After a moment of tense silence, she spoke again. “Regina, I only want what is best for you. And right now, Emma is not the best person to be around. You had to have been expecting her to break down sooner or later; a professional would have handled it properly instead of allowing her emotions to get the better of her.”

Regina’s shoulders relaxed, and she hung her head. “I know. I acted like a child; but seeing Emma fall into that dark place again hurt me deeply. I thought she was doing better…”

“Emma is fine, Regina,” Blue caved. “She won’t talk to me or anyone else, but as far as I can observe, the medication is doing its job of keeping the voice in her head locked away in a place she can’t reach it. Although she is refusing therapy, she is healing herself by processing her own thoughts. I’m sure she will be happy to see you when you’ve returned; she’s been asking about you.”

Regina exhaled in relief. “Thank you, Blue.”

“You’re welcome, dear. Now, relax and get some rest. I left you a few pills to help you sleep for a few days to get your body back on a regular schedule.” Regina could tell Blue was smiling on the other end now.

“I’ll pay you back when I can. Maybe you can be the one to take a vacation,” Regina teased.

“Bake me one of your delicious strawberry shortcakes and we’ll be even.”

“Deal.”

That night, Regina took the pills given to her without a second thought. She soon drifted off to sleep, but it wasn’t a restful slumber. Although the pills were doing their job of keeping her asleep, Regina kept having dreams of the incident over and over again that made her want to claw her way into consciousness.

_“Emma, what have you done?” Regina asked, pushing her way into their bedroom to find her wife covered in blood and an unconscious little boy laying on the ground next to her._

_Emma looked up at her and smiled. “I saved him, Regina. I saved our son. The Evil Queen poisoned him, turned him against me.”_

_Regina looked at the boy in quiet horror. His chest failed to rise and fall, and he was deathly white, almost yellow. It was apparent he had been dead for a while, a few days at the most. Regina had been on an emergency leave for a patient the last 6 months, so she had trusted Emma to stay alone despite the worry that Lily might appear. It was a horrible mistake, leaving. A fatal one._

_Emma never quite got over giving up her son for adoption. Both girls were 18 when they met, and Regina had encouraged her to give him his best chance so they could be together without anything tying them down. That guilt never went away, and now she had finally snapped._

_Regina slowly knelt down to her wife’s level, careful not to touch the little boy. “Emma, I need to call some people. How about we go downstairs and wait? I’ll make you some hot cocoa.”_

_A ragged sob escaped Emma’s throat. “I had to take away his pain, Regina. He kept trying to get away, to go back to her.”_

_“Who?”_

_“The Evil Queen.” Emma bent her knees up to her chest and began rocking back and forth. “Lily said this was the right thing to do. She said you would be proud of me.”_

_Regina took Emma’s face into her hands. “No matter what happens, I love you.”_

_Emma fought as they took her away; of course she did. She had no idea what she had done to be sent away to a hospital. In her eyes, she hadn’t done anything wrong. Regina ignored Emma’s screams for her as best she could and tried to contain the tears spilling down her face. Blue was there to comfort her once the police and paramedics had gone._

_“It’s for the best, Regina. She can’t live a normal life with her mental state as unstable as it is. We can’t have her hurting anyone else.”_

However, another dream floated in, giving Regina a strange sense of déjà vu as if she had dreamt it before.

_Regina was sitting in her office, knees curled up to her chest and silent tears streaming down her face as she felt her heart slowly break into a million pieces. She had lost the love of her life, this time, by choice. She was second-best, but she didn’t have the heart to blame him. So she aimed her anger for the next best person: Emma Swan._

_Emma was the reason Marian was alive again. She was the reason Robin had to make a choice. She was just like Snow White; thinking of the greater good and her own desires rather than the feelings of others._

_Regina knew that she was only so angry at Emma because Robin wasn’t her first choice either. Emma was. She had silently pined for the woman ever since she had seen her son accept her with open arms and she got to experience first-hand, a mother that was willing to face her mistakes and begin anew to bring happiness to someone else. To Henry._

_If Emma hadn’t been so blind and doey-eyed for all the wrong people, Regina might not be feeling this way right now._

_A loud knock broke the silence surrounding her. “Regina? Regina, I know you’re in there. The lights are on.” Emma’s voice drifted through the paned glass._

_Regina didn’t answer. She didn’t know how to react. One part of her wanted to rip the Savior’s heart out and crush it to dust, while the other wanted to scream and cry until she no longer felt anything. But she didn’t do either of those things. She simply sat in silence, wallowing in self-pity and emotional distraught, and listened to the woman on the other side of the door._

_“The thing about Marian—when I came back from the Enchanted Forest—I never meant—“ An exhaled sigh followed by a quiet curse._

_“When Henry brought me to Storybrooke, he said I was the Savior, that I was going to bring back the happy endings. My job isn’t done until I’ve done that for everyone. Including you.”_

_Regina’s eyes slid shut and she rested her head against the cool wood of the door. She had to mention Henry, knowing Regina wouldn’t be able to ignore him. Even if she refused to speak, Emma will rest assured that she had listened. Clever._

_As Emma’s footsteps receded down the hall, Regina felt her heart lighten just a little. For she was sure she had heard a certain sentence leave the blonde’s mouth that proved Regina wasn’t the only one with hidden feelings._

Regina woke in a cold sweat, tears running down her face and her heart beating fast. She needed to see Emma. Now.

Blue was rather surprised (more so irritated) to see Regina in the middle of the night. To be fair, Regina was surprised to see her too. Blue usually left in the early evenings once everyone had taken their last dose of medicine for the day. But now it seems she had appointed herself Emma’s personal nurse/guard.

“Regina, I thought I made it clear when I said to take a vacation.” Blue set down her book and gave her a pointed stare.

“I did. I was gone for 2 days.” Regina stood up straight and fixed her friend with a cold stare of her own. “I want to see my wife.”

Blue’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed hold of Regina’s hand and led her away from Emma’s room. “Regina, you must be more careful when you speak! If Emma had heard you- “

“Why is she still in solitary, by the way?” Regina crossed her arms and glanced over Blue’s shoulder at Emma’s room. “Is she still trying to harm herself?”

“You know the protocol, Regina. 4 days is the least amount of time she needs to stay before she can be released. Why are you arguing so?” Blue gently touched her arm, brow furrowed in concern. “Are you getting enough sleep, dear? Would you like something to help you rest?”

Regina wrenched herself away from the woman’s grasp. “What I would like is to see Emma.”

“It is well past midnight. You are welcome to stay in the open rooms, but you may not see Miss Swan until morning.”

Regina opened her mouth to retort, but Blue cut her off.

“I know you are the administrator here, but while you are out on leave, I am in charge. I helped create this facility, did I not?”

Regina nodded, frowning like a stubborn child as she realized Blue had her pinned. Technically, she and Blue were equals in all this. And some silly dream wouldn’t change that. It had felt real, yes, but Emma believed that Lily was too. That didn’t make it so. So she obeyed Blue’s rules and trudged off to find an empty bed to crash in, allowing herself one good night of rest before seeing Emma tomorrow.

* * *

 

Emma woke to find the feeding tube had been removed and the IV’s that were in both arms were gone as well as the restraints. She was back in her normal room, and Regina was beside her. Though Emma was upset, she couldn’t hide her excitement at Regina coming back to work. Lily had not spoken to her for days and Emma was finding she liked the change.

“Emma.” Regina’s eyes shined with excitement, so unlike her professional self that it sparked a feeling of déjà vu within Emma. It was as if she knew this side of Regina.

Regina scooted closer to Emma. “I want you to tell me more about Storybrooke. About me.”

Emma watched her warily. Regina looked like a child in a toy shop, yet that could just be a ploy to bait the trap and deem her even crazier.

“You’re the mayor of Storybrooke.”

Regina nodded and urged her to continue. Emma tried to think of what to tell her. It was hard to remember, but the more Regina was near, the more her memories—or delusions—would return. But it was so personal, like her own little world that only she believed in. The idea of sharing it almost made her protective, like it was hers and only hers and Regina wanted to take it away.

“We share a son. His name is Henry. I gave him up for adoption when I was young and somehow, he ended up in your care. You said it wasn’t a coincidence, that fate brought you two together like fate brought me to Storybrooke.” Emma blinked as images of the memory flashed through her mind.

“Henry like the teen in our facility?” Regina asked slowly, a memory beginning to take form in her own mind.

Emma shook her head. “I don’t think so. I- I don’t know.” She became increasingly frustrated as the memories jumbled together in her mind. She tried to put two and two together and imagine the angry teen as her son, but her exhausted mind wouldn’t allow her.

Just as the pieces clicked for them both, the memories flew apart. Both women sat in puzzled silence as Blue entered the room. “How is the session going, Regina?” Blue stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Um, good. I- I think so.” Regina fumbled for words while her thoughts seemed to tumble around.

“Then how about we end this session and have one of our own?” Blue smiled at her and then Emma before leading Regina out of the room.

Emma stared after them, alarm bells ringing in her mind. Something was off here. It felt like this whole hospital was a filter to the real world. Like maybe she wasn’t the crazy one after all. The only way she would find out is to take matters into her own hands. To do that, she would need help. And she knew exactly who to ask.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry becomes involved, and Regina is betrayed.

Emma had learned two things during her great treasure hunt for answers. One: hospitals gave her the creeps. Two: the people who worked here really didn’t give a shit (save for Regina.) Emma had spent the last 3 hours trying to find a sliver of evidence to back up her theory on Storybrooke and the curse. She had gotten lost in a dark hallway with a flickering fluorescent light above her, making her shiver and wonder if she was truly alone.

She had passed at least 3 orderlies who—upon hearing a noise—would lazily turn their heads toward whatever sound Emma had accidentally made before sticking their noses back in their phones.

As Emma passed the same room for the fifth time in a row, she sighed and changed her direction. She wondered where Henry was; she was sure he knew the place well enough to give her a guided tour rich with detail. But the teen was nowhere to be found.

Regina had come back to work the day after she had come to see Emma, however, she was back to her old clinical self. She hadn’t asked about Storybrooke or even tried to pretend to listen to Emma during their therapy sessions or group meetings. It was as if Emma had AIDS and was purposefully contaminating everyone she knew. Regina stayed far away.

Emma was hurt by the doctor’s sudden change of behavior, but she simply reminded herself that Regina was partially the reason she was stuck in this place. She wanted to deem Emma crazy, to have control over every little thing she did, like some sort of lab rat that was conditioned to be submissive.

Emma didn’t need anyone (besides Lily), at least that is what she told herself. She would prove her story to be right and once she was released, she’d never look back.

Henry seemed to have caught on to her mission however, for when she woke this morning, a bent bobby pin lay tucked neatly underneath her pillow. Clever kid.

Emma had taken her first opportunity once she gave Mary Margaret a reason for missing group therapy (she played the part of a sick person very well,) and once the nurses had disappeared after poking and prodding and checking her temperature and blood pressure, she was left to her own devices.

Emma almost felt bad, lying to Mary Margaret. The woman seemed sweet and only wanted what was best for her. But Lily’s echoes traveled to the forefront of her mind and reminded her yet again, that every single staff member in this facility was not to be trusted. She had to float it alone, which felt all too familiar and caused an awkward weight to settle upon her shoulders.

She had just successfully broken into Blue’s office and was searching for clues when Henry made an appearance.

“I know you’re new at this sleuthing stuff, but anyone with a brain would know to close the door behind them.” The teen casually strolled in, shutting and locking the door behind him.

Emma barely glanced up. Ever since she gave into her cursed delusions, she’d had more and more memories of this little boy—her son—and this teenage Henry with the same name looked all too familiar. His eyes matched hers, his smirk was uncanny, and he had that fighting spirit she had at his age. It was too confusing to think about.

“Let’s go get a snack and catch up.” Henry looked around the room, seeming unimpressed at the simplicity of it.

“Beat it, kid. I’m busy.” Emma searched through drawer after drawer, becoming increasingly agitated as she came up empty-handed. She was half-tempted to turn the drawers over onto the desk and paw through them with a fine-tooth comb, but that would raise suspicion.

“I know you were looking for me earlier. You passed my hiding space twice. Besides—“ Henry held out a leather-bound book that Emma hadn’t noticed he was holding, “—I think you’ll want to see this.”

So Emma painstakingly led him to her room and waited while he bounded off to round up some snacks and undoubtedly cause trouble. The teen returned with a toothy grin as he tossed a pack of milk duds on the bed. Emma stared at the candy, then up at the boy.

“How did you— “

“I know a guy,” Henry interrupted, ripping into a package of gummy bears. “David’s pretty cool. He doesn’t have the same restrictions as us, since he’s technically not crazy.”

Emma peered at the shut door. “But what if Mary Margaret comes in to check on me? Or Regina?”

Henry lazily rolled his head back toward the door. “Regina is in a session with Blue. Apparently, she needs her own therapy. And Mary Margaret won’t come in for a while; I made Belle cry again.”

Emma shook her head and pushed away the feelings of guilt as she opened her candy and popped a few in her mouth.

“ _Mm, I missed the taste of chocolate. Hey look, it’s that cool kid. Good to see you can make friends without me.”_

Henry gave Emma a knowing grin. “Lily’s back, isn’t she?”

Emma’s mouth hung open in shock. How the hell did this kid know that?

Henry answered her silent question. “When Lily talks to you, you get distant. Like, disconnected from reality for a few seconds. It’s your crazy tell. And when she comes out, boy, that’s fun to watch.” The teen winked at her. “Sup, Lil? Miss me?”

“Where the hell have you been?!” Emma silently demanded.

“ _Those drugs that little miss Blue bitch has been giving you blocked me! At least the pills give me a bit of a gateway to get in. How are you doing, kid? They didn’t torture you while I was gone, did they?”_

“No, other than the fact that I’ve been stuck in solitary with a feeding tube and a permanent sedative. I’ve been back in my room for a few days. Regina finally started to believe me about this curse thing I think, but now she won’t even talk to me.”

“Okay, it’s nice that you two are catching up with your girly talk or whatever, but I’ve got more important things to discuss.” Henry waved his hands to catch Emma’s attention.

Emma snapped out of her head and sat up straight. “Okay, kid. Tell me your plan.”

Henry had then proceeded to show her the book and explain the stories. He said that he had found it in Regina’s office and had been looking through it for a few days, examining it thoroughly. Emma looked at the pages supportively, but her hopes fell as she realized it didn’t say anything about Storybrooke.

“These are just tales, kid. These are printed and copied world-wide in hundreds of languages.”

Henry shook his head. “There’s a twist.” He pointed to the picture of a baby wrapped in a knitted blanket which was sewn with the name ‘Emma’. “That can’t be a coincidence. Besides, I’m in the book too.”

The teen flipped a few chapters and Emma gasped. The picture before her showed a blonde in a leather jacket walking together toward a school bus with a chestnut-colored, shaggy haired teen. On the boy’s other side was a raven-haired woman in a dark pantsuit. The pictures were painted, but the resemblance was uncanny.

“If this were true—not saying that it is—then how did we end up here?” Emma motioned to the room. “How come the doctors have evidence of me killing a little boy?”

“Henry!” Mary Margaret entered the room just as the teen shoved the book in under Emma’s mattress. “You know better than to go into other patient’s rooms, let alone poor Emma who has been very ill. And candy too? I told David not to give you any more!”

Henry gave the woman an innocent look. “I’m very sorry, Miss Blanchard. You know when I get down I need someone to talk to. I was afraid I might hurt myself. Or even someone else.”

Inside Emma’s head, Lily snorted. Emma herself couldn’t help smirking at the boy’s obvious cover-up.

Mary Margaret, on the other hand, fell into the lie without a moment’s hesitation. “Henry, you know you can talk to me. I’m your main doctor, remember?” The woman laid a hand on the teen’s shoulder.

Henry nodded somberly. “I know. It’s just, Emma has been a really great friend to me since she’s come here. Can we have just a few more minutes to talk?”

Mary Margaret pursed her lips, considering. “All right. 20 minutes. Then it’s time for lunch.”

Once the doctor had left, Henry pulled the book out from its hiding spot. “The last page shows you holding onto some dark being. See?”

Emma craned her head to look at the picture. It showed a blonde woman in a white sweater taking some sort of darkness away from the same raven-haired woman in a pantsuit. Her brow furrowed in confusion. What did that mean?

One line of the story jumped out at her. _In an act of love, the Savior reached her hand into the darkness that was once in Rumplestiltskin’s heart, refusing to let the Queen become evil again._

“You sacrificed yourself,” Henry explained to make sure she understood. “For Regina.”

“Regina?” Emma stared at the pages, willing a memory to come to her mind. It made sense, for when she arrived here at this facility she knew Regina somehow. She felt a connection with her when they had both seen memories of another life. Only now, Regina seemed to have forgotten them. Or refused to believe in them.

“What does Blue have to do with any of this?” Emma asked.

“Blue never liked Regina. Back before she was evil, Tinkerbell tried to help her find her true love. Blue found out and stripped the fairy of her powers. When you came to Storybrooke, you and Regina started to have feelings for each other. That was my doing, of course.” Henry smiled proudly.

Emma raised her eyebrows. “And who are you, exactly?”

“I’m your son.”

“ _Grab some popcorn and relax. This is even better than attacking the other patients. This kid is a riot_ ,” Lily laughed.

“Anyway, Blue didn’t like the idea of the Savior i.e. ‘the one destined to save us all’, the product of true love, falling for the Evil Queen. And when you made the ultimate sacrifice for Regina—my adopted mom—Blue somehow interfered and created this new curse.” Henry shut the book and slid it back underneath the mattress.

The teen frowned for a moment. “That means I called my mom hot. Gross.”

Emma grabbed the boy’s hand. “Listen, Henry. Your name might be the same and we might look like these characters in these stories, but we’re not. This is real life. I know all of these memories I’m having are delusions. Just like Lily is.”

“ _More like you are my delusion, Princess. I’m more real than you’ll ever be,_ ” Lily snapped, obviously offended.

“Henry.” Mary Margaret was right outside the door now.

Henry stood to go. “Just look at the book. Okay? Take a chance and read it. Then you can tell me I’m crazy.”

Regina stared at the lone red pill sitting in a tiny cup in front of her. Across the desk, Blue smiled and nodded. “Take it, Regina. It’ll get rid of your stress.”

Regina’s eyes flicked up to her friend. “I thought these therapy sessions were just for talking, Blue. I’m not a patient; I can refuse to take this.”

Blue nodded in agreement. “You can. But would you really like to spend the rest of the work day in a stressed mood? Remember: A troubled leader makes for troubled minds.”

Regina rolled her eyes at the obvious quote from the motivational poster hanging to her left. Of course everyone here had troubled minds, they were all suffering from mental illness. But now, Regina wasn’t so sure. Although she had stopped encouraging Emma to talk about Storybrooke, with each session with the woman, she seemed to be plagued with memories from another life. The same delusions Emma was having, only from her point of view.

“Regina, have you had any more delusions? Of Emma and this supposed cursed town and your son?” Blue asked gently.

Right after Blue had taken her out of Emma’s room, she had brought her into her office and explained to her that Emma’s illness was affecting her now as well. Mental illness was contagious, if one felt a connection with the carrier. At least, that was Blue’s belief. And Regina having been married to Emma, felt a connection stronger than any other. She forgot about Storybrooke and the delusions, but one glance at Emma brought them all flooding back.

Tears filled Regina’s eyes. “I feel crazy. Isn’t that ironic?” She held her head in her hands and tried to calm down.

Blue sat forward and rested her hands on the desk. “Which is why I am requesting you take that pill. If you don’t, it will be in my best interest as your friend but more importantly, your co-administrator, to give you the medication by injection.”

“What will it do to me?” Regina eyed the little pill suspiciously. Ever since Emma arrived here, Regina found it harder to trust Blue, though she had been her friend for as long as she could remember.

“It will take care of those delusions, dear. Set you in the right mindset so we can continue doing what we do best; helping the mentally ill.”

Regina was suddenly hit with a memory so hard she gasped out loud.

_“Mom, you have to try this!” 13-year-old Henry called from the middle of the lake._

_Regina simply smiled and shook her head, snapping a picture of her son for the photo album. At that moment, Emma decided to show off and do a complex twirl, unaware that she was the clumsiest woman Regina knew. How she managed to keep her position as sheriff even with the mayor’s favor was beyond her._

_Henry scrambled to get off the ice as Emma landed in a twisted heap and cracked it, nearly falling through. Heart pounding in her throat, Regina ran over to find the woman was soaked in freezing water and her leg was bent at an odd angle._

_Emma herself was laughing, oblivious to the severity of the situation. Regina doubled over laughing at the woman before casting a weightless spell and lifting her into her arms._

_“Remind me to never let you go ice-skating again, Miss Swan,” Regina chastised as she drove her to the hospital._

_“This was a fun day,” Emma giggled in the backseat as Henry took a snapshot to capture the memory._

Regina blinked as she came back to herself. Henry was their son. Storybrooke was real. Emma wasn’t crazy. She stood up quickly, nearly knocking the chair over as she did so.

Blue stood as well, concern set deep within her eyes. They stared at each other for a good 30 seconds.

“What are you doing, Blue? Why do you want me to forget?” Regina asked, her voice a near whisper.

Blue stepped forward, smoothening her outfit calmly. “I want to help you. That’s all I ever wanted.”

Regina didn’t see the needle that penetrated her arm. In that moment, she didn’t care. She knew who the enemy was now. She glared at Blue as she began to fall unconscious.

“I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do.”

When Regina woke, she was dressed in the same light blue scrubs as the patients and she was tucked into a small bed, covered with a scratchy blanket. Mary Margaret was beside her, smiling gently as she put down the book she was reading.

“Dr. Mills. How are you feeling?” The young woman asked.

Regina blinked and looked around. “What happened? Was I attacked?”

Mary Margaret helped her sit up and drink a few sips of water. “Actually, you had a breakdown. Blue admitted you into the facility for a few days until you recover.”

“She did _what_?!” Regina yelped.

Mary Margaret shushed her softly. Instead of annoying her like it should, it actually helped her calm down a bit. As much as she hated to admit it, Mary Margaret was a damn good doctor. Regina could say she almost trusted the woman. Almost. Blue had put her in here, and Mary Margaret was helping her—though she was only doing her job—and Regina was being treated as an insane woman in her own facility. There would be hell to pay.

Instead of getting upset, Regina decided to play it safe and ask a few questions. “What kind of a mental break did I have?”

“You were delusional. Blue said one of your patients you treated in therapy was trying to convince you that what they believed was real. She said some part of you began to give into that, and the talks she was having with you were no longer working. And since she is your emergency contact, she thought it was best you were admitted.” Mary Margaret readied a syringe as she spoke.

“I am _not_ delusional.” Regina crossed her arms and watched the doctor warily.

Mary Margaret took a deep breath. “Of course you’re not, Regina. You’ve been stressed with work, is all. I see nothing wrong with taking a few days off and getting some rest.”

Regina tensed as the woman neared her with the syringe. Mary Margaret noticed and rested a soft hand on her thigh. “This part is unpleasant. But I promise, you’ll feel so much better after. Besides—“ Mary Margaret paused to stick the needle into her exposed leg, “—patients say I’m so good at it, they hardly feel it at all.”

Regina’s body relaxed and her eyes dropped just slightly. “They were right about that. You have the magic touch, Miss Blanchard.”

The young woman blushed. “Oh please, call me Mary Margaret.”

“Mary Margaret.” Regina tested the name, realizing how foreign it sounded in her mouth despite having been the woman’s superior for years. She had never gotten to know anyone on a personal level other than Blue, who didn’t really give her a choice on the matter.

Regina didn’t notice how much the medication was affecting her as Mary Margaret helped her up. “Where we goin’?” She slurred.

The raven-haired woman smiled and patted her arm. “I thought you might like to go to the day room. It’s a nice sunny day outside, and the sun always makes me happy.”

Regina offered the woman a real smile. “You make me happy.”

Mary Margaret simply chuckled. “We’re feeling more relaxed now, I see.”

Regina settled in next to Mary Margaret and David in the day room, watching a Disney movie on the TV while they played their daily game of chess. She gasped and clutched the doctor’s arm as a young blonde woman entered the room. The woman was gorgeous and somehow familiar.

“Checkmate.” David gave his wife a pearl white grin as Regina’s action messed up the woman’s original move.

“Mary Margaret look! Who is that?” Regina whispered excitedly.

“Oh.” Mary Margaret was nervous, though Regina didn’t notice. “That’s Emma. She’s one of the newer patients here.”

“It’s weird that I don’t remember her, but I remember everyone else. She looks familiar.” Regina quickly looked away as Emma caught her staring.

Technically, Emma was the one staring at her. Everyone in the room was. They were surprised to see the most level-headed and professional doctor joining them as a patient with not a care in the world. Henry nudged Emma, and the woman quickly looked away.

“Should I go and introduce myself?” Regina asked.

Mary Margaret patted her arm. “Why don’t you stay close for now and see if Emma decides to talk to you? Let yourself get used to the medication. Hey look, Big Hero 6 is on. That’s a great movie.”

Regina knew something was up, but the fog in her mind was making it hard to figure out why. So she pretended to watch the film while sneaking glances at Emma, her heart fluttering inside her chest as she waited for the moment they would be able to meet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love might not be enough.

When Emma had met Henry after group therapy with Blue to search through his comic books for theories on how to break the curse, the last thing she had expected to see was Regina relaxing on the couch like she belonged there. The woman was dressed in the same scrubs as them, her eyes glassy and her body limp as she stayed close to Mary Margaret.

Emma had stared at her for a good 30 seconds before Henry had nudged her and led her to his corner. Though he was equally as shocked, he hid it behind his unsympathetic character. Emma couldn’t help it; and apparently none of the other patients could either. Regina was so drugged out of her mind she didn’t notice the many pairs of eyes on her.

“Why would Blue admit Regina as a patient?” Emma leaned over Henry’s shoulder to look at his _Aqua Man_ comic.

Henry flippantly turned a page, a bored expression on his face. “Because Regina started to believe. She saw the truth. The more she’s around you, the more she remembers. Blue wants to be in charge.”

Emma glanced over at the doctor who was laughing as she helped Mary Margaret beat David at their game of chess. “She saw right through me.”

Henry shrugged. “Evil doesn’t have to play fair. Now will you leave me alone so I can figure this out?”

Emma made her way over to the couch Regina was seated on. The woman was so preoccupied with the movie that was playing, she didn’t notice Emma sit down beside her.

Emma stared at the screen for a while, slightly losing track of her thoughts as memories of watching this movie with Henry came to mind. Regina would scold them while they feasted on milk duds mixed with popcorn, a drunk-Emma specialty that her son ended up loving. Regina always complained that it wasn’t good for their teeth, but she allowed them to eat it every Saturday because it was movie night.

“This is such a good movie.” Emma blinked as she realized Regina was talking to her.

The raven-haired woman smiled, showing her perfect almost-blinding white teeth. Though her eyes were foggy, they held a twinkle within that reminded Emma of the Regina she once knew in her memories—or delusions, as the doctors tried to convince her.

“You’re Emma, right?” Regina held out the bowl of popcorn in offering.

“Um, yeah.” Emma grabbed a few pieces as she tried to push away the bittersweet feeling in her chest.

“I’m Regina. I’m a doctor here.”

Emma stared down at her lap. Regina didn’t remember her. She didn’t remember the curse. She didn’t remember the feelings they had for each other once upon a time. And that hurt.

The young woman jumped as Regina laid a hand on her arm. “I know it’s hard; being new here, being treated like you’re not even human…”

Emma looked up as Regina’s voice cracked. It was almost as if she was talking about her old life. Being forced from a position of power into one of submissiveness. She had to bring her back. She had to make her remember.

Before Regina could react, Emma had ahold of her face and was kissing her. She tangled a hand in her jet-black hair—pulling her closer, kissing her deeper. Regina’s lips were soft and smooth, and a memory hit both of them at the same time.

_“See you later, kid. Try to stay out of trouble.” Emma hugged Henry to her, ruffling his chestnut locks. Normally that would make him smile, but the boy didn’t even try to appear happy._

_“I don’t want to stay with her, Mom.”_

_Emma’s breath hitched in her throat. Ever since Regina had saved both her and Mary Margaret from the well, bringing them back to Storybrooke, Henry had been attached to her like a conjoined twin. He had only called her ‘mom’ a handful of times, and to hear that name filled with so much love coming from the boy she gave away, it melted her heart. Unfortunately, Henry’s relationship with Regina hadn’t improved._

_He was thankful that his proclaimed ‘evil queen’ of a mother saved his family from their deaths, but he hadn’t tried to get closer to her other than the spur of the moment hug right before they had gone to Granny’s. He had even seemed irritated at dinner to see his mother there, and Emma had to remind him quietly to be nice. She had lied to Regina out of the kindness of her heart and said it was Henry’s idea to invite her, though they both knew that it wasn’t quite true._

_Emma kneeled in front of her son, straightening his jacket. “I know this is an adjustment for you—it is for all of us. But your mom is trying, Henry. It took a lot for her to save us, especially after being enemies with her step-daughter for so long. But you have to give her a chance. She raised you. She loves you.”_

_Henry frowned, looking so much like his father in that moment. Emma could never resist Neal’s pouty look either. “She only saved you because she wants me back—she tried to kill you. If she really loved me, she would have let me have you in my life. I’m allowed to have a say, too.”_

_Emma sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I know, kid. I know. But you can’t just shut her out of your life. She loves you.”_

_Henry stared at her for a full minute, betrayal etched across his features. “You’re falling for it, aren’t you? Her trap. Now that the curse is broke, you’ve given up on the mission. She needs to be defeated! Good has to win!”_

_Emma stood up straight. “Henry, enough! Regina isn’t evil. Now you are staying here for the weekend and that’s final!”_

_Neither of them noticed the open door, nor Regina standing on the porch, silently watching them. Henry was the first to see her._

_“Thanks a lot.” The boy shouldered his backpack and took off into the house as he had the first night Emma had brought him to Storybrooke. He completely ignored his mother as she tried to welcome him home with a hug. Then, it was just Emma and Regina._

_“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Emma turned to go, knowing Regina was still not the friendliest with Emma and her family._

_“Thank you.” The words stopped Emma right in her tracks. She slowly turned around as Regina approached._

_“I didn’t really do anything.” Emma looked at the ground and scuffed her boot. “The kid still doesn’t want to be here.”_

_“You tried.” Regina laid a hand on her arm, prompting her to look up. “That’s more than I deserve after what I’ve done.”_

_Emma offered her a small smile, noticing Regina’s lips curve just slightly upwards. “He’s your son.”_

_“He’s yours too.” Regina swallowed and looked at the ground. “I was just so convinced that you and your family were turning him against me that I refused to see the truth. Henry convinced himself that I was evil. No one else did. And maybe I was, even here. I’ve been a horrible mother to him since you’ve come to town.”_

_Emma stepped back, feeling too close for comfort. She was never good with handling people’s emotions. She always joked that she was a sociopath, but now she realized that just might be true._

_“You’re welcome. Night, Regina.”_

_Regina didn’t release her arm right away—she tightened her grip and stepped forward. “Don’t run away, Emma.”_

_Emma wrenched her arm from the woman’s grasp. “How dare you. You don’t even know me.”_

_Regina surprised her then by kissing her hard, tangling her fingers in her golden locks and tugging her closer. Emma lost herself in the emotions clouding her mind, blanking as she tried to process just what was happening. Soft lips, sharp teeth, warm tongue. Emma wriggled against her, trying to pull away but grasping onto the mayor’s shirt to pull her closer._

_Finally, they pulled back. Breathing heavily, whiskey meeting forest. And Emma knew that Henry was right—she was falling for it. Too fast. Too hard. Too much. Yet not enough._

_Regina stepped back, straightened her clothing. “Good night, Miss Swan.”_

_Emma numbly touched her swollen lips as she watched Regina disappear into the house. Something prompted her to look up. And when she did, she saw her son sitting in the window, glaring down at her. As soon as he noticed her staring, he snapped the curtains shut and turned out his light._

_Emma tried to remind herself that he was a kid. An eleven-year-old boy that was stuck in the middle of a family feud even worse than Romeo and Juliet. She couldn’t help but smile as she reached into her pocket and found the one thing that she never expected—Graham’s other shoe lace that matched the one on her left wrist. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach the whole way home._

This time, however, there wasn’t happy endings or hidden apologies. Emma yelped in pain as Regina bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood that filled her mouth with a metallic saltiness. The woman then looked at her with wide eyes. Emma knew she saw it. She couldn’t have not. She almost expected the woman to punch her straight in the face like she had before.

What Emma _hadn’t_ expected was for Regina to scream loudly at the top of her lungs and fling herself to the opposite end of the couch as if she had been shocked. Even Lily was bewildered at the woman’s behavior.

“ _Is she a vampire? Did you touch her with your silver tongue ring while you were swapping spit? Look at the way the vein in her forehead is bulging—she is so fucking sexy._ ”

Emma tried to reach out and calm the woman, but Regina screamed louder and began swatting at her. Mary Margaret rushed over with a few orderlies trailing behind looking annoyed—most likely from being interrupted from their phones—and knelt in front of Regina.

As per protocol, the burly men hauled Emma up and to her feet, strapping her in a strait-jacket before she had the chance to explain. Mary Margaret turned to look at her, her face filled with concern and fear.

“What happened?”

Emma’s mouth opened and then closed at the woman’s accusatory tone. A flash of the same expression on her face from Storybrooke appeared and then was gone. She felt a jolt run down her dominant arm because of it. Mary Margaret was scared—as well she should be, since Emma probably had broken the number of psychotic episodes displayed in a week that had injured a patient and had her taken to solitary. Now she had hurt the person she never thought she would.

Blue quickly intervened, glancing back and forth between the two women, her lips pursed as if she was trying to hold in a bad case of indigestion. Finally, she turned to Emma.

“What happened here, Miss Swan? Dr. Mills does not have meltdowns out of the blue.”

Emma glared at Blue as the woman sized her up. “I kissed her.”

Blue’s face went from ‘I demand answers’ to ‘I’m a blank slate.’ Her mouth formed a surprised ‘o’ for half a second before she recovered. “Take her to her room.” The woman waved the orderlies away, indicating they take her.

“Fucking lesbo,” one of the men muttered.

Lily quickly took over and used Emma’s upper body strength to slam the man right in his family jewels. “ _Blue-balled pussy_ ,” she hissed.

Emma blinked and found herself back in her own head. She was amused to see the man on his knees and covering his ‘no no square’, and she knew Lily had defended her. All the way back to the room, the men held her at arm’s length and kept their mouths shut, staring straight ahead with dark shark eyes.

For once, Emma was glad when she found herself being strapped to her bed and shot up with more medication. She had finally unlocked the key to getting Regina back.

* * *

 

Regina curled up in the armchair across Blue’s desk, resisting the urge to lick her swollen lips as they had Vaseline on them. She shouldn’t have overreacted—she had quite enjoyed the kiss Emma had granted her. Her mind had just cracked as she was transported into her mind and into a memory. She wasn’t hurt—she tried to explain. But no one would listen.

Blue pushed a document over to her side of the table. “You need to fill this out. It’s an incident report for sexual harassment. Once it has gone through the system, Miss Swan will be transported from our facility to one outside of Maine. Ruby has filled out hers, now we just need your statement.”

Regina stared down at the paperwork numbly. She didn’t want Emma to leave—Emma was the first person to make her feel something. For some reason, she couldn’t remember her, though Emma seemed to know her all too well. And that kiss… it triggered something that had Regina freefalling into gravity faster than the speed of light. She had been admitted to her own facility for a reason, and she was starting to think Emma was the reason why.

“Regina, what’s the matter?”

Regina blinked and felt warm wetness on her cheeks. She grazed her fingertips across and pulled back to see that she had been crying.

“I know this is hard. You’ve been through a lot these past couple days. But with Miss Swan gone, I can assure you that you will recover and be back to your job in a week’s time.” Blue pointed to the pen beside her. “All you have to do is sign.”

Regina picked up the pen, chewing her bottom lip. She needed to do the right thing. She just didn’t understand why this felt so _wrong_. Emma would be able to get the one-on-one help she needs to get rid of her apparent delusions and voices Blue had said she was struggling with, and Regina would be able to get back to what she does best: helping others.

Just as she was about to seal her fate, Henry burst into the room. “Don’t sign it, Mom!”

Shocked from the sudden intrusion, Regina dropped the pen and it fell from her hands and rolled to the teen’s feet. Blue jumped up from her chair, her eyes wild with fury. “Orderlies!” She shrieked.

Henry slammed the door shut behind him before knocking over a metal filing cabinet so the doctors couldn’t get through. In his hands, he held a big leather book. He opened it and flipped to a certain page.

“Regina, you can’t send Emma away. She’s your wife. I’m your son. We live in Storybrooke, Maine, and we’re under a curse. A curse created by her.” Henry pointed to Blue. “And all of the patients here are a part of it.”

“Don’t listen to him, Regina.” Blue motioned for Regina to come to her. “Remember how I told you mental illness was contagious? Emma has infected this boy, too. I’m the only one who knows the truth.”

“You’re the only one who remembers because you’re the Dark One,” Henry growled. “When Emma sacrificed herself and replaced Mr. Gold, you took her dark magic. You turned her back into the Savior so you could have the power for yourself.”

The teen held up the book, illustrated with the scenes he was describing. “The proof is in the pages. The question is: why? Why did you want to ruin our lives? Wasn’t the power enough?”

Blue’s fingers began to glow with a strange red light. Sparks shot out from her fingertips, dissipating in thin air. “I wanted to see you suffer.”

Regina gasped as the woman’s eyes were no longer crystal blue. They were now pure black, as if she was being possessed by an evil spirit.

“What I wanted was to destroy the ties between the Evil Queen and the Savior. The only way to do that was to kill one of you. But I couldn’t do that because it would look suspicious if you died in my care. So I needed you to forget. And it worked, for a while. But then she kissed you. And now you’re starting to believe.”

“You can’t destroy True Love,” Henry challenged as Regina moved to his side. The boy bent down and picked up the pen Regina had almost signed her name with. It started to glow a bright blue color, transferring its magic into him.

“No… but I can destroy you.” Blue held her arms out, sending a wave of dark magic toward them, knocking them back through the wall into the day room. Regina’s head bounced off the floor painfully, causing her vision to blur.

The room was shrouded in dust and debris, and everyone was standing still as if frozen in place. Regina noticed Henry unconscious next to her and reached for his hand, a lifetime of memories flooding back to her as she made contact. Her heart pounded in her chest as she noticed the boy was bleeding from his ear.

“Regina!” The woman turned her head to see Emma approaching, eyes wide in terror. “What’s going on?!” Regina yelled above the pulse of magic surrounding Blue.

“We have to break this curse! Our first kiss made us believe, now let’s finish this!” Emma kissed her again, blending their memories together. Regina felt a strong sense of love between them, but otherwise nothing happened.

Both women pulled back, frowns on their faces as they realized it didn’t work. Emma suddenly noticed Henry lying next to them.

“It’s always him,” she murmured.

Objects and chunks of the building flew around them, getting sucked into the magical vortex of evil that Blue had created. Emma and Regina pulled up a semi-conscious Henry and followed Mary Margaret to another part of the building. Patients were in mass hysterics, except for the ones that were too drugged to notice the possible ending of their lives.

Mary Margaret handed out water bottles and snacks, trying to keep everyone calm though she was equally as freaked out. “Do you two know what’s happening?” She asked Emma and Regina.

“Keep everyone safe,” Emma instructed as she moved toward the door.

Regina grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”

“I’m the Savior. I am not going to let Blue break apart my family. I’m going to end this. Keep our son safe.” Emma ran out without hesitation.

Mary Margaret glanced up at the vibrating walls and ceiling. “This whole building is going to collapse. We have to get everyone out of here now.” She began rounding up the patients to get ready to leave.

Henry shook off his grogginess. “We can’t leave Emma behind. Blue will kill her.”

Regina took his face in her hands. “Our first priority is keeping you safe. Go with Mary Margaret and the others, I will be right behind you.”

Henry’s lip quivered, and he looked as if he was going to start to cry. “I love you, Mom.”

Regina smiled sadly. “I love you too. Now go.”

Henry hugged her tightly before helping Mary Margaret lead the others outside. Regina watched with relief through the window as everyone made it out safe and sound. The last thing she saw before the building collapsed was her son looking up at her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter.

When Regina finally opened her eyes, she was surprised to see she was still alive. The whole building had crumbled around her, showering her in dust, debris, glass, and other remnants of the facility that never was. From somewhere far away, she could hear her son crying out her name. Her eyes fluttered shut but she forced them open again, refusing to let herself go.

_Emma find Emma._

The woman pushed herself up and squinted through the dust to see the magical vortex was stronger than ever. Blue was in the middle of it, looking like Regina had when she cast the curse that sent all of the Enchanted Forest inhabitants to Storybrooke. Only, this fairy was stronger than Regina ever claimed to be. Her heart was pure black, her soul filled to the brim with a kind of evil even Satan himself would fear.

Regina crawled toward the only source of light, ignoring the glass that was cutting into her palms and slowing her down. But as she neared Blue, she realized she was too late. Emma was already kneeling at her feet.

“Emma!” Regina cried, her voice carried away by the wind.

The blonde looked fierce—much like she had when she had been fighting Regina over their son. Her clothes were ripped, her hair a tangled mess, blood dripped from scrapes and lacerations all over her body.

“If you have to kill someone to avenge yourself, kill me. Leave the rest of my family alone.” Emma tilted her chin up defiantly.

“Emma.” Regina’s voice was choked, like she was being strangled. It should have been impossible, but Emma heard her clear as day.

Regina’s breath hitched in her throat as Emma turned and smiled at her, silently reassuring her that she would be okay. “Take care of our son. I love you.”

Those were the last words Emma spoke before Blue’s magic engulfed Emma, dragging her into its symphony of evil. As light magic mixed with dark, it became more unstable, shooting sparks of magic as it seemed to grow bigger.

“Mom!” Henry grabbed Regina’s arm and dragged her back, trying to shield her from harm.

“Henry.” Regina held her son close, glad he was okay.

They could do nothing but watch as the vortex rose, looking like some sort of extra-terrestrial tornado to any common human. God knows what Mary Margaret and the others were thinking. David was probably wishing he _was_ in a coma right now.

A scream of anguish filled the void, and they soon realized it was Emma. She was absorbing all the magic—sacrificing herself. Ignoring the danger, Regina ran forward to Blue, who was gasping in exhaustion in her weakened state. The woman noticed Regina was near and offered her a weak smile.

“Regina. I- I’m hoping we can put all of this behind us. We can go back to Storybrooke, you can be mayor, everything will be as it should be.”

“No,” Regina hissed, feeling the old anger of the Evil Queen resurfacing inside her. “It’s too late for that.”

With a sickening jerk, Blue’s heart was ripped from her chest. It was light once more, red with a tiny dot of white in the middle to signify purity. But the closer Regina looked, she realized it wasn’t white at all. The dot itself was growing larger, changing the red color to its blinding prism of a color. Regina smiled triumphantly. She didn’t need to crush it—Blue’s heart was doing its own job of erasing her from existence.

“What are you waiting for? Crush it!” Blue begged. Regina knew she saw it too. Death was a much better fate than being exiled to nothingness.

“Have a good life, Moth,” Regina snarled as she shoved the organ back into the fairy’s chest.

Then, silence. The vortex had disappeared along with Blue. Regina hurried to Emma’s side, Henry just a few paces behind her. The young woman was lying motionless on the ground. Regina no longer detected the magic that had consumed her. Henry put shaking fingers to his mother’s throat.

“No pulse.” He pulled back, worried eyes looking to Regina for help.

Regina looked back at him, her mouth falling open but no words coming out. “I- I don’t know what to do.”

“Kiss her,” Henry said. “It will break the curse and bring her back. Like Emma did with me.”

Regina leaned down, praying to the gods that they would give in and heal her lover. As their lips met, nothing happened. No memories, no overwhelming feelings of True Love, no miracle.

“I’m sorry, Henry.” Regina burst into tears, feeling as though her heart was going to stop any moment.

“I’m not.”

Regina looked up through watery, chestnut eyes to see Henry lean over his mother. “I love you,” the boy whispered, laying a soft kiss on her forehead.

Everything went dark.

Regina woke beside Emma and Henry to see the boy was unconscious, his head resting on the blonde’s chest. They were on the main street of Storybrooke, back where they should be. Then why weren’t they awake?

“Regina!” The raven-haired woman looked to see Snow White approaching, hand in hand with David. The other residents drifted along behind them apprehensively.

“Henry did it. He broke the curse!” Snow smiled widely. Regina shook her head. “It was too late.”

Henry woke with a soft whimper. He sat up and leaned into Regina as she pulled him close. They watched silently, holding their breath in hope a miracle would happen. And it did. Emma woke.

“Mom!” Henry hugged the blonde tightly. Regina’s heart sank as Emma looked around in confusion. The blonde noticed Regina and her eyes lit up. “Dr. Mills, what’s going on? Why are we outside?”

Henry pulled back. “You defeated Blue, remember? You sacrificed yourself for us and saved everyone.”

Emma slowly shook her head. “I don’t— “

Regina cut the woman off by kissing her. When she pulled back, she saw Emma was as confused as ever. “You’re free, Emma. I love you, and so does your son.”

Emma’s eyes welled with tears. “I don’t hear Lily anymore. You mean—I don’t have to stay in the hospital anymore? I can come home?”

Snow knelt beside Regina, taking her daughter’s hand. “That’s right, sweetie. You’re home.”

Regina and Snow exchanged a sad smile. Emma wasn’t their Emma, but she was here. She was alive. They would help her get her memories back. Until then, they would help her adjust.

Regina slid a diamond ring on the blonde’s left ring finger. She couldn’t give up. She would wait forever if she had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I know this story was cut off and a bit hurried, but I finished it the best way I could. It’s not the best, but at least I have one half-finished story done. Whoo hoo! Anyway, see you all in my next story (hopefully). Much love.


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